To: Secret_Agent_Man who wrote (299256 ) 12/21/2010 5:28:11 AM From: Giordano Bruno Respond to of 306849 Many consider Bruno only a footnote in astronomical history for having a loose grasp of the Capernian model and believing in a Universe abundant with life during the 16th century - among other less sacrosanct ideas. However, his conviction for freedom of thought when free thinking was blacked out will not be forgotten. Some say the name ' Giordano Bruno ' may outlive the church. [Oliver Stone are you paying attention? -g-] ...He went to Germany, where he wandered from one university city to another, lecturing and publishing a variety of minor works, including the Articuli centum et sexaginta (1588; “160 Articles”) against contemporary mathematicians and philosophers, in which he expounded his conception of religion—a theory of the peaceful coexistence of all religions based upon mutual understanding and the freedom of reciprocal discussion... Bruno’s theories influenced 17th-century scientific and philosophical thought and, since the 18th century, have been absorbed by many modern philosophers. As a symbol of the freedom of thought, Bruno inspired the European liberal movements of the 19th century, particularly the Italian Risorgimento (the movement for national political unity). Because of the variety of his interests, modern scholars are divided as to the chief significance of his work. Bruno’s cosmological vision certainly anticipates some fundamental aspects of the modern conception of the universe; his ethical ideas, in contrast with religious ascetical ethics, appeal to modern humanistic activism; and his ideal of religious and philosophical tolerance has influenced liberal thinkers. On the other hand, his emphasis on the magical and the occult has been the source of criticism as has his impetuous personality. Bruno stands, however, as one of the important figures in the history of Western thought, a precursor of modern civilization.britannica.com